Photographic-camera shutter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. F. CGOK.V PHOTOGRAPHIO CAMERA SHUTTER.

Patented Sept. 28,1897.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

, W. I'. COOK.

PHOTOGRAPHIG CAMERA SHUTTBR.

No. 590,752.7- Patented Sept. 28,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT @Imca WILLIAM F. oook, or Ivr MILLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

PHOTOG RAPHIC-CANI ERA SHUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,7' 52, dated September 28, 1897. Application filed November '7, 1896. Serial No. 611,354. (No mocleh) To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, vWILLIAM F. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ivy Mills, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Photograph-0amera Shutters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in camera-shutters, and has for its object to provide an improved form of shutter for making both instantaneous and time eX- posures, as more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a shutter mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views of the same, showing the parts in different positions. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the same on the line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a rear view. G is a sectional elevation on the line 6 6, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a shutter mechanism of slightly-modified construction. Fig. S is a rear view of the same. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are fragmentary views showing a part of the stop or diaphragm disk in different positions; and Fig. 12 is a rear elevation of the shutter, showing a further modification.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the base-plate of the shutter, in which is formed a circular opening a in line with the leus of the camera. At about the center of the base-plate is a bolt b, having an enlarged iiattened head B,which iits into a correspondingly-shaped depression in the outer face of the shield B. The center of the shield has an enlarged circular opening c, and in the wall of said openingis secured one end of a spiral spring c', the opposite end of which is secured to the bolt b and serves to keep the shield in its normal inactive position, Fig. 1.

On the periphery of the shield B are three detents in the form of ratchet-teeth d d cl2, with which a pawl E is adapted to engage. The pawl E is pivoted to a pin e and is acted upon `by a spring e', which serves to keep it in contact with the teeth of the shield B.

In the shield B is a circular openingf, so arranged with respect to the teeth that when the second or Iniddle tooth cl/ is held by the pawl said opening will be immediately oppo- Fig.

site the opening a in the base-plate, as shown in Fig. 3, and when either ofthe other teeth is engaged by the said pawl said opening will be either in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 or that illustrated in Fig. 2.

On the base-plate is pivoted a lever Gr, the lever being slotted at g, so that it may move vertically on its pivot-pin g', but being normally held in the highest position by means of a spring h, which bears against iiattened faces 72, on the under side of the lever. The lower portion of the lever is comparatively broad, so that it will cover the opening in the shield B, and one side of said lever is curved to form a cam for engagement with a pin on the shield. The opposite side of said lever is straight and near its pivot-point has a projection I, which when the lever is depressed to the position shown in Fig. 3 will come into contact with a stop-pin I on the base-plate A.

The operation of the mechanism described is as follows: I/Vith the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, or the normal position, it is desired to take a picture by altime exposure. The lever G is operated in such manner as to engage the pin i and move the shield to the position shown in Fig. 2, the pawl E being then in engagement with the lowest tooth cl2 of the shield and holding the same when the lever returns to the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the broad surface of the lever G covers the opening in the shield during the time that the opening is passing the opening a in the base-plate and prevents a premature exposure. rl`he lever is then depressed to the position shown in Fig. 3 until its projection I is in contact with or rather opposite the stop-pin I', when the flat side of the lever is moved against the pawl E and presses the same out of contact with theto'oth cl2, permitting the spring o to move the shield, but only so far as to permit the openingf of the shield and the opening a of the base-plate to come into alinement. The projection I being in contact with the pin I prevents a movement of the lever G sufficient to move the pawl back to its farthest position, but onlyso far as to make the pawl engage with the middle tooth d' and hold the shield in mid-position. The parts are then in the relative positions shown in Fig. The lever G is then released and rises to the position shown in IOO Fig. l, and the openings in the shield and base-plate are perm itted to remain in line with each other for a su llicient length oi' time to take the picture, when the lever G- is moved to push the pawl out of engagement with the tooth d and permit the spring c' to move the shield to the initial position, Fig. l'.

\Vhen an instantaneous picture is t0 be taken, the parts are moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, and then the pawl E is disengaged Vfrom the tooth d2 by simply moving the lever G against it without depressing said lever. `This will move the pawl 'fully back and permit the shield to move back until the pawll engages the tooth d, the opening in the shield quickly passing the opening u. of the base-plate and making an instantaneous exposure.

For the purpose of regulating the speed with which the shield travels in making an instanianeous exposure I employ the construction illustrated in Fig. 5, the base-plate A having a segmental slot 7s, through which extends a pin le', secured to the rear side of the shield I3, the pin being acted upon by a spring K, which is turned around the pivotpin b2 of the shield and has its opposite end secured to a pin or screw I, carried by a slide L and passing through a slot Z. in the base-plate. This slide L is suitably guided on the face of the plate partly by the screw l and slot Z and partly by a second screw Z2, carried by the base-plate and projecting into a slot l: in the slide. rlhe upper end of the slide has a handle IX, and its lower end is pressed upon by a vflat spring L2, secured to the base-plate and adapted to bear with some little force upon the slide, so that it will hold the latter in any position to which it may be adjusted. By moving this slide vertically the tension of the spring K maybe increased or diminished and the force with which it acts upon the shield may be regulated to cause the latter to travel at a slow or a tast rate of speed, in accordance with the desired time ot exposure.

In Fig. 5 is also shown a simple form of .stop-disk M, pivoted at fm and provided with a number of different-sized openings nt m2 on, any one of which may be brought opposite the opening d in the base-plate. The edge of the disk has three notches n n n?, with which may engage a holding spring or detent N to hold the stop-disk in any posiA tion to which it may be adjusted.

Referring new to Figs. 7 and S, the baseplate, shield, and holding-pawl are similar to those previously described, but the manner ot' setting7 the shutter is altered to suit a dillerent style of camera where the setting of the shutter is accomplished by a pull string or wire. rhe spring for holding the shield may be of the character illustrated in Figs. 2 and l or that shown in Fig. 5.

On the rear face of the base-plate on a pin or bolt b is mounted a stop or diaphragm disk M', having three stops or openings m7 ntf m3, any one of which may be brought into line with the opening (l in the base-plate, the disk being held in its normal j )osition by a spring I), curled around the bolt li and having one end secured to a lixed pin l on the base-plate and its opposite end attached to a pin P on the disk, the tendency ol' the spring being at all times to turn the disk in the direction of the arrow, Fig. S. On the disk is a pin r, and on a projection Q, extending from the periphery ol' the disk, is a similar pin fr'. To the base-plate is pivoted at s a lever S, having two iingers or prongs s' s2. rlhis lever may be moved to any one ol' the positions shown in Figs. 0, l0, and l1, its position being indicated to the operator by a guide-plate T, which projects outside the camera-casing and has three openii'igs t t' t, the opening 't being the smallest, the opening 252 the largest, and the opening t' the medium size. XVhen the lever is moved opposite one or other of these openings, the stop plate or disk M will stop in such position that its correspondingly smaller or larger or medium size stop-opening will be in line with the opening a in the base-plate A.

When the lever S is moved to the position shown in Fig. fl, it is opposite the sniallest opening t, and when the stop disk M is moved by its spring the pin r will be engaged by the iinger s and the smallest opening fm' in the disk will stop opposite the opening u in the base-plate.

W'hen the lever S is in the `position shown in Fig. l0, (opposite Vthe medium-size opening '/f,) the pin r will be engaged by the iingcr 32 and the disk will stop in such position that its medium-size opening in? will be opposite the opening a in the base-plate, and when the lever is in the position shown in lfig. ll the pin r will be engaged by the linger s' and the large opening nl. will stop opposite 'the opening c, so that the operator may at all times adj ust his stops to suit the varying conditions under which the pictures are taken.

The shield B is provided with a pin n7 which projects through a segmental slot n in the base-plate in the path ot the projection Q ot' the disk lll, and to a pin lr on the disk is secured a cord fr, which passes out through an opening in the camera-casing.

To set the shutter, the cord .r is pulled and the disk moves in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow, Fig. b", until the projection Q meets the pin n, and thc movement continuing the shield l5 is turned until the pin u reaches the end of the slot n", Fig. S, when the shield will have reached such position that the pawl E will engage the last tooth d on said shield. The cord may then be released and the disk M will be returned by its spring to whatever position may be called for by the position of the lever To release the shutter for instantaneous or time exposures, the operation of the lever G is the same as previously described.

In both the constructions shown in liigs. 1l and '7 the shield may be moved when a time IIO exposure is to be made directly to a point Where the pawl E engages with the tooth d', when the shield-opening will be directly in line With the opening ct in the base-plate, but the operation as above described is deemed the more desirable, as the time of exposure can be more accurately determined.

In the construction shown in Fig. l2 the parts are substantially the same as previously described, but a single spring g/ serves to keep both the shield and the disk M' in proper normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, iis- I. A camera-shutter comprising a baseplate having an exposure-opening, a rotatable shield havin g an opening which may be moved across the exposure-opening, teeth in the edge of said shield, a pivoted pawl adapted to engage said teeth, and a lever having a broad face adapted at times to cover the exposureopenings, said lever being so arranged as to set the shield when moved in one direction and When moved in the opposite direction to release the pawl and permit the operation of the shutter.

2. The combination in a camera-shutter, of a base-plate having an exposureopening,a rotatable shield having an opening which may be moved across the exposure-opening, teeth in the edge of said shield, a pivoted pawl adapted to engage said teeth, a broad-faced lever adapted to engage said paivl, a fixed stop for said lever, said lever being adjustable and adapted to make contact at different points with the said stop and paWl to permit a partial or complete movement of the latter and so govern the extent ot movement of the shield.

8. A camera-shutter having in combination, a base-plate provided with an exposureopening, a rotatable shield having an opening which may be moved across the exposureopening, teeth in the edge of said shield, a pawl adapted to engage said teeth, means for setting the shield, an adjustable slotted lever adapted to operate on the pawl, a projection on said lever, and a fixed stop with which said projection may be moved into contact to limit the movement of the paivl.

4t. A camera-shutter comprising a baseplate havin g an exposure-openin g, a rotatable shield having an opening Which may be moved across the exposure-opening, teeth in the edge of said shield, a pawl adapted to engage said teeth, means for setting the shield, a pin g on the base-plate, a slotted lever G mounted on said pin, a projection I on said lever, and a iixedstop I on the base-plate adapted to be engaged by said projection.

5. A camera-shutter comprising a baseplate having an exposure-opening, a rotatable shield having an opening which maybe moved across the exposure-opening, teeth in the edge of said shield, a pawl adapted to engage said teeth, a pin on said shield, a lever having a broad face adapted to act on said pin to set the shield and upon the pawl to release the same.

6. A camerashutter comprising a baseplate having an exposure-openin g, a rotatable shield having an opening which may be moved across the exposure-openi ng, teeth in the edge of said shield, a pawl adapted to engage said teeth, means for setting and releasingsaid shield, a spring tending to keep the shield in its normal position, and an adjustable carrier for one end of said spring arranged in such manner as to permit of the adjustment of the tension of the spring to alter the speed of travel of the shutter.

7. A camera-shutter comprising a baseplate havin g an exposure-openin g, a rotatable shield having an opening which may be moved across the exposure-openin g, teeth inthe edge of said shield, a pawl adapted to engage the said teeth, means for releasing the pawl, a stop-disk having projecting pins thereon, and an adjustable arm adapted to engage said pins.

8. A camera-shutter comprising a baseplate havin g an exposure-openin g, a rotatable shield havin g an openin g which may be moved across the exposure-opening, teeth in the edge of said shield, a pawl adapted to engage said teeth, means for releasing the pawl, a stopdisk, pins thereon, a lever S adapted to engage said pins, and a guide for said lever.

9. The combination of the base-plate having an exposure-opening, a rotatable shield having an openin g which may be moved across the exposure, a pivoted stop-disk operatively connected to and movable With the shield, means for rotating the stop-disk, and an adjustable lever for limiting the movement of said stop-disk, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of tivo Witnesses.

VILLIAM F. COOK.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL T. BosvvnLL, WALTER W. CALMoRE.

IOO 

